I have known Ramiro Rocuant, or Uncle Mito as I call him, for the majority of my life, or at least since I can remember. Having been married to my late Aunt Dina, and living fairly close to my parents in the same town, we used to see each other quite often. When I was younger and my mother was still working, it was his house that my grandmother, Baba, used to watch me at. From my perspective as a child, and even years later as a teenager and up until now, Uncle Mito was one of the most welcoming, laid back people I have known. He welcomes everyone, family or not, with an enormous smile and a hug. But he doesn't just stop there. He takes the time to listen to what people have to say, to engage them in conversation and see how they have been. One of my more recent memories (meaning about 5-6 years ago) was when my wife and I went down to Florida to visit and he welcomed her as if she were already a part of our family, no ifs, ands, or buts. That is perhaps the part of Uncle Mito that makes him stand out from many other people, his welcoming disposition, his smile, and his overall dedication to family. A good part of that I am sure comes from the fact that he was born in Chile, a family oriented country compared to the United States, and he never let that influence leave him.
If you knew my Uncle Mito and Aunt Dina, you would understand how they worked so well together. My Aunt Dina, while also welcoming and embracing, also had a commanding presence about her. She had a certain way of doing things, strong opinions about the way certain events should pan out, and always needed to have a say in what was going on. Yet this never phased my Uncle. His laid back demeanor, I am sure, helped both of them weather many storms and get through all the trials of marriage. To put it simply, they balanced each other out and because of that, their relationship endured. It was my Uncle Mito's patience that got him through many an ordeal. It was probably what helped him when he used to give me rides to school in the morning on his way to work. He did this for a while and I still remember days when he would patiently wait for me outside my parents house as I was running late. Being young, I didn't comprehend the whole "being on time" issue as I do now and I often let it pass me by as irrelevant even though it had a big impact on those who took care of me. Having gone to a Catholic grammar school, we had to wear slacks, a button down shirt, and a tie every day. On occasion, we would have "dress down days" where we could essentially wear whatever we wanted to as long as it was in good taste. There were times when I would completely forget about the dress down day, get driven to school by my Uncle, only to find out that every other student was dressed down. It was my Uncle Mito who helped me get over the fact that it was OK not to be dressed down and to get my but into the building.
I have nothing but fond memories of my Uncle Mito. He has now moved back to his native Chile and re-married. Despite his sons still residing in the United States, most of his family still remains in Chile and I don't blame him at all for wanting to get back down there to spend time with them. I know that no matter what happens, he will remain a dedicated individual, a loving husband, and wonderful father to his four sons. If our finances ever allow us to make a trip of that nature, I would love to go visit him and see where my mother grew up, and meet his extended family down there. Life is not so simple as my grandmother would say, but looking at Uncle Mito, you see that all you need to do is take life one day at a time and everything will work out. And add in to that mix a little bit of golf which he absolutely loves, and you have a recipe for a good life. So to many more happy years with his new wife, I pay tribute to my Uncle Mito, a dear member of our family who I could never forget!
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